Students protest against Cambridge architecture closure

Cambridge University proctors - the guardians of student behaviour - were today called on to oversee a demonstration against the university's proposed closure of its architecture department.

The student union estimated that up to 2,000 members turned out to hear speeches from local Labour MP Anne Campbell and the comedian Griff Rees-Jones, whose son, George, is a student at the threatened school. The union also claimed that the noise of the crowd caused the vice-chancellor's office windows to rattle.

The demonstration followed a letter in today's Guardian from a group of Britain's leading architects, which described the plans as "an act of extraordinary folly".

The president of Cambridge University student union, Wes Streeting, said: "The decision is still in the balance, but from the sheer number of people who turned out today and the strong letter that appeared in the Guardian, I'm confident that we will win on the December 8. The windows of the vice-chancellor's office literally shook with the power of the noise. If they didn't want to come out to listen to what we had to say, that's too bad, they still heard what we had to say."

He added: "What really struck me was the dedication of the people taking part in this demonstration, illustrating that it is something that affects the whole country. The chronic problem of underfunding is not unique to Cambridge, but illustrates a national problem of underfunding, which is threatening other departments, such as the chemistry department at Exeter."

University alumni also joined the demonstration. Jerry Lander, a Gonville & Caius College architecture graduate of 1983, said he was "dismayed" by the proposed closure.

"It's appalling," he said. "It's a brilliant school in a city that is full of outstanding architecture. A lot of the architecture in Cambridge was designed by ex-students."

He added that he was unsure whether the demo would change anything. "I was on the Stop the War demo, with 3 million others and that had no effect. But at least universities are still quasi-democratic institutions, where the fellowship support one another. I really hope we can influence things." The university had already turned down the student union's request to hold the rally outside the senate building after consultation with its proctors.

The proctors hold the most ancient role in the university. They have responsibility for the discipline and public order of the students. Dressed in black gowns and top hats, they have the power to take a note of anyone behaving badly, or against university rules, and "arrest" offending students. A university spokesman said he did not expect these powers to be used today.

The threat to the architecture department has been blamed on the fact that it scored a four in the most recent research assessment exercise, the government's method of rating university departments on the research they do, and allocating money accordingly. Most of Cambridge's departments are rated a five or five-star, which means they produce world class research. A four rating means significantly less money for the university.

The university stressed that the plans to close the department had not been set in stone.

The university's academic secretary, Graham Allen, said: "We understand and sympathise with the level of concern the current situation has raised, but is unfortunate that those who joined the rally felt there was a need for a protest of this kind. The future of the department of architecture will be discussed at the meeting of the general board of faculties on December 8. Until then we would ask everyone to be considerate of the hard work that is going on in the school of arts and humanities and elsewhere to prepare proposals for that meeting.

"I would like to stress that no decision has yet been reached regarding the future of the department, and that if a recommendation for closure is put forward, the decision would ultimately rest with the Regent House."

The vice-president of the National Union of Students, Hannah Essex, said the closure reflected situations at other universities across the country. "Universities have a social responsibility to the world at large, not just to research. The value of this department is felt across the world, as outstanding buildings are designed and constructed.

She added that the lack of funding was a national problem, being felt at Swansea, the University of East Anglia and Exeter, as universities are forced to rely on research to get money.